Wolves of Wall Street

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: As a fan of David Decocteaus films The Brotherhood trilogy, Voodoo Academy and others I was very excited to see Wolves of Wall Street. However, I was very disappointed. Everything that made the previous films so campy and great are completely gone. This film takes itself way to seriously. It's about a young man who gets a job on Wall Street and then is turned into a werewolf, but we never get to see any werewolves. They all remain in human form acting like werewolves. Theres no blood, no scares, nothing. There's only one scene with guys in their underwear which David has made his trademark in all of his previous films. The only thing that it has going for it is the acting. The acting is by far the best of his films, thanks in part to Elisa Donavan from Clueless and Sabrina and Eric Roberts, an acadmey award nominated actor.

Rating:
Summary: Wall Street's Meat Market.
Review: Greed is the ultimate theme of this film, and horror (with a slice of homoeroticism) director David DeCoteau realizes this early on and decides to build a film without the costumed monsters of the normal horror genre, but instead with suit wearing professionals that look and act just like you or I. He brings this essence of realism into the film by never quite giving us the werewolf, but showing us how too much power, money, and corruption can "transform" a person just like the classic werewolf. I felt several times that I was watching a rendition of a "wolf in sheep's clothing" because we never actually see the wolves, instead we are shown the corporate suits that seem just like you and I. While DeCoteau does a great job of building the issue that greed is bad, he completely misses the target known as story. I can honestly say that this film has none to speak of.

To build a good story you must first have a solid foundation. In this film there were two foundations, Jeff Allen and the Wolfe Brothers. With these two focal points firmly placed, DeCoteau attempts to build a frame and put siding on his story, but ultimately fails. After consistently unfunny "wolf" jokes, DeCoteau uses the simple technique of flashback to give us the (sorry for the pun) meat of the story. Those points that we missed because Allen was "blacking out" are shown in random, sporadic, and chaotic flash points. Most of them are hard to follow and show either too much or too little of the story. After the first set of these flashbacks, I just didn't care anymore. For this film to truly succeed, I think that it needed a linear story for the audience to follow instead of random crumbs littering the floor. This would have helped to build a stronger main character, a stronger relationship between Allen and Annabella (to explain the ending), and more sinister villains ... if you can call them that. The technique was ok for the first time, but only added to a film that was quickly loosing momentum.

So, we had a failing story, what else went wrong with this film? Outside of Eric Roberts, which seemed like he was in a world all his own, there just seemed to be unanswered questions littering the open spaces of the film. Annabella's ex-boyfriend's death seemed to be a fly in the pan, while her meeting with Dyson (Roberts) left me questioning her loyalty. Who, or what, were these men anyway? Were they cannibals or werewolves? I would assume by the title of this film, Wolves of Wall Street, that it would be a simple answer. I was wrong. Even with the monotonous "wolf" innuendo, I couldn't quite guess. I think the trouble that I was having was the full moon science. How could there have been a full moon every night? I know that it couldn't have been every night, but it felt like it during this film. Perhaps if DeCoteau would have focused a bit more on the science of this film (perhaps watch a couple werewolf films) and less on his male actors removing their shirts in unison revealing their heavily muscled bodies, we could have had a better film. But, I am no director, so what am I to say.

Speaking of the actors, Eric Roberts went above and beyond for this film. It impresses me that he puts so much emphasis on these little films, especially knowing whom his little sister is, and by placing this emphasis he carries this film on his shoulders. This isn't hard considering whom he is working with. The actor who plays Jeff Allen, Mr. William Gregory Lee, looked like he was acting his way through this film. You could literally see the Drama 101 seeping from his sweat, and it was embarrassing. The rest of the wolves...sorry...brokers were basically eye candy for the women whose husbands picked this film up after every copy of Mona Lisa Smile was gone. Nobody helped bring this film to the next level except for Mr. Roberts. The rest were pure dribble.

Finally, I would like to add that if I pay my money to see a horror film, I would actually like to see some horror. There was literally no blood in this film. You would think that with a box showing men with shadows of wolves walking down the street, blood would be second nature. This is not true. It isn't until the end that you actually see blood for the first time, and by then it is so quick (or you are so bored) that it doesn't matter. I needed some scares, some moments of genuine fright, some ... dare I say it ... horror for this film to work. Instead what I found were cheap actors, horrible editing with crappy flashbacks, and no actual horror as far as the eye can see.

Overall, it was a disappointment. While I was not expecting anything extraordinary, I would have thought that somebody (outside Eric Roberts) would have cared about this project, but I guess I was wrong. I needed more solidity with the story and a more focused director to help guide me through the piles of mess that the actors created. I needed help, but nobody listened to my yelp.

Grade: * out of *****

Rating:
Summary: ....another Bradley Stryker Film...
Review: Having read the previous reviews before seeing the film, I was pleasantly surprised that there was still a similar level of homoeroticism in this film as in the other films of the Director.

This film is worthwhile just to see Bradley Stryker again.

I do wish the Director would have alternate endings to his films, so that the "bad guys" don't always lose at the end.

Rating:
Summary: Terrible!!!
Review: I'm a film fanatic and must admit to a certain level of snobbery when viewing and evaluating most work. However, I've been known to make exceptions when certain filmmakers present their work as pure kitsch or camp and nothing more. Typically that has been the case with David Decocteau, whose Voodo Academy, Leeches and the Brotherhood are classic examples of kitsch at its best. His plots are generally vacuous vehicles for soft-core homoeroticism that I've found quite entertaining. In fact, Decocteau has developed something of a cult following for his lingering shots of half nude young males who are traditionally quite beautiful and are generally in foreboding predicaments of various sorts. Heterosexual directors have done this for years with beautiful young actresses. It's nice to see the tables turned on men for once. I like the idea of men being objectified. Anyway, this has been the signature of David Decocteau.

With the Wolves of Wall Street he is trying to go "legit" and mimic what the straight directors are doing. The general orientation of the film is heterosexual. Unfortunately, he has failed miserably in crafting anything near a good film. His storyline is derivative, there are no special werewolf effects to speak of (in fact, the so-called werewolves act more like vampires in that they suck blood from the necks of their victims - an identity crisis much like this film) and the general demeanor of the film is flat. And, I disagree with one reviewer who said the only redeeming quality of the film is its actors. I felt they were all terrible, including Eric Roberts, who is not known in Hollywood circles as a particularly respectable thesbian.

I just received a mail ordered copy of the film on DVD. I plan on unloading it immediately. I highly recommend that you avoid this one at all costs!

Rating:
Summary: Neutered Wolves Go For Cash Rather Than Gore
Review: Jeffrey Allen (William Gregory Lee) has always dreamed of being a stockbroker so he shows up on Wall Street with a whole lot of determination and no experience. He meets a bartender Annabelle Morris (Elisa Donovan) who gives him the phone number of the Managing Partner of Wolf Brothers Brokerage Dyson Keller (Eric Roberts). She used to date a guy who worked for the firm. Brokers at the firm are expected to work 168 hours Monday to Monday, to work hard and play hard and to be predatory focusing, seeking and attacking to get what they want. Jeffery makes the team out of the five candidates hired in. He's taken under Vince DuGray's (Micheal Bergin) wing and soon learns that the firm expects more from him than just to make a lot of money.

I truly expected more from an Eric Roberts film. This was hardly a horror flick. Basically it was a bunch of men in their underwear biting each other and acting wolf-like though no canis lupus is actually seen. It's all suggested with dark lighting and sound effects. It wasn't scary at all! I'm glad I rented and didn't buy it. This might a good one to watch on TV if you're bored and there's nothing else on!

Rating:
Summary: Neutered Wolves Go For Cash Rather Than Gore
Review: Jeffrey Allen (William Gregory Lee) has always dreamed of being a stockbroker so he shows up on Wall Street with a whole lot of determination and no experience. He meets a bartender Annabelle Morris (Elisa Donovan) who gives him the phone number of the Managing Partner of Wolf Brothers Brokerage Dyson Keller (Eric Roberts). She used to date a guy who worked for the firm. Brokers at the firm are expected to work 168 hours Monday to Monday, to work hard and play hard and to be predatory focusing, seeking and attacking to get what they want. Jeffery makes the team out of the five candidates hired in. He's taken under Vince DuGray's (Micheal Bergin) wing and soon learns that the firm expects more from him than just to make a lot of money.

I truly expected more from an Eric Roberts film. This was hardly a horror flick. Basically it was a bunch of men in their underwear biting each other and acting wolf-like though no canis lupus is actually seen. It's all suggested with dark lighting and sound effects. It wasn't scary at all! I'm glad I rented and didn't buy it. This might a good one to watch on TV if you're bored and there's nothing else on!

Rating:
Summary: Who knew stock brokers were so dramatic?
Review: This is the funniest horror movie I've ever seen. Were they really werewolves? They seemed more like cannibals. But did they actually eat their prey? Every time a little actual HORROR began the scenes ended. And I'm not really sure why two guys would gang up on one girl, strip down to their matching underwear, begin a threesome, and then eat her. Why not save time and eat her with their clothes still on? The best part was when all the wolves were killed with a single ball point pen. Oh Lord how I laughed. The acting was bad and the direction was horrible. They used the same shots over and over again and it got really boring. If this movie wasn't so corny I wouldn't have skimmed through to the end. I have seen worse movies though. I give it two stars because it made me laugh.

Rating:
Summary: Werewolves of Wallstreet
Review: When pretty boy Jeff, decides to move to New York to get a job on Wall Street, he is shocked and amazed when he hits the big time and gets a job at Wolfe Brothers. Wolfe Brothers, ran by charismatic Dyson, seems like a dream job...Or is it...? His boss seems to have some unusual habits... Well, aside from urinating off of buildings he seems like a perfectly normal boss to me, (Grin). LOL. Things get strange, when Dyson begins hitting on his girlfriend, and the pack decides to make Jeff one of THEM. Can Jeff make it out alive? Or is he destined to be, just one of the pack.

I liked this film a great deal. Especially the first part. I thought the ending was a little bad, (I love how the werewolves just stand around to be killed), and I felt that Jeff was a bit of a jerk to the pack alpha, whom I felt was a fairly nice guy for a monster.

I would've reworked the ending differently, perhaps having Jeff go on the run or ran the pack or something. The ending seemed rushed and made no real sense.

Peeves? I was kind of bored at the beginning but this film really picks up. Rated R for nudity, sex, and violence.

Rating:
Summary: Wolves of Wall Street = "The Lost Boys" on "Wall Street"
Review: Wolves on Wall Street is a movie about a young man straight out of college ( actor William Gregory Lee) -who looks like a combination of Matt Damon & Ben Affleck without the earthiness who wants to be hired as a broker on wall street and the only one who gives him a job is a possessive boss played by Eric Roberts ( looking good even though his hair is gray now ) in an excellent performance.The lust for money is applauded just like in the movie "Wall Street" and the brokers seem to be vampires like in the movie "The Lost Boys". Filling out the cast are : Louise Lasser ( last teamed with Eric Roberts in "Rude Awakening" movie-1989-also known as "Mary Hartman,Mary Hartman" in the 1970's ),Elisa Donovan as the young brokerage firm's new recruit's redhaired girlfriend,with Jason Shane Scott and Bradley Stryker.This vampire on wall street works quite well except for the fact that the main actor who's the main character doesn't have a lot more going for him than his good looks- he can act but he doesn't seem to care for anyone so either his acting is as it should be for this story-or he is just a little too emotionally shallow.No matter what-this is an interesting artistic-type of film that shows that Eric Roberts is still a great actor with good looks ( TV sitcom "Less than Perfect"-2002-2003,,movies:"King of the Gypsies","Raggedy Man","Runaway Train","The Specialist","Final Analysis",etc.)The main character wants to be a broker on Wall Steet and does everything it takes to go to the top of the earning pool-but then he wants out but it's too late because now he is one of the pack and may even be a vampire.He is used to the rich life and pretty new girlfriend yet suddenly his boss and co-workers at the Wolfe Brothers Brokerage Firm seem to have taken over his life completely.This is a sexy mystery action thriller fantasy released in 2002.If nothing else there are a lot of good looking men going wild with pretty women.Enjoy !